


A Tale as Old as Time

by mizufallsfromkumo



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Beauty and the Beast Fusion, Beast Lance, Beauty Shiro, Cat/Human Hybrids, First Meetings, M/M, Protective Shiro (Voltron), Shiro (Voltron) is a Good Sibling, sassy Lance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-09-12 13:23:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16873683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mizufallsfromkumo/pseuds/mizufallsfromkumo
Summary: Seriously, why Keith thought it was a good idea to leave at night, when a storm was approaching, was lost on Shiro.He was pretty sure the people Keith was venturing off to see, would more than understand if he was a day late due to weather.  It’s not an unheard of thing to happen.  But Keith acted like they would blame him personally for brewing up a storm if he didn’t leave right that instant.And don’t worry, he’d taken that route before waylaterin wayworseweather many times before, he would be fine.  Back in a week’s time like nothing ever happened.Except somethingdidhappen.





	A Tale as Old as Time

**Author's Note:**

> Whoa, going through Tumblr to post you stuff here really digs up some old stuff.
> 
> Like this Beauty and Beast AU I sort of started. And continued in a second part, which I just remembered is in my trumblr drafts so I gave to copy it over to Google Drive. 
> 
> Anyway, this is another thing I did past of something rigb0ner got in a ask...And yes I went for a cliche title...

Seriously, why Keith thought it was a good idea to leave at night, when a storm was approaching, was lost on Shiro.

He was pretty sure the people Keith was venturing off to see, would more than understand if he was a day late due to weather.  It’s not an unheard of thing to happen.  But Keith acted like they would blame him personally for brewing up a storm if he didn’t leave right that instant.  

And don’t worry, he’d taken that route before way  _later_  in way  _worse_  weather many times before, he would be fine.  Back in a week’s time like nothing ever happened.

Except something  _did_  happen.

Red, Keith’s horse, came back like it saw some godawful sight….with no  _Keith_.

Which was why Shiro was on Kuro, dragging poor Red along looking for the younger man.  Trying not to be worried too much about that fact that Red was being  _skittish_  and timid, when Red was  _never_  skittish or timid.  About like anything.  Let alone not wanting to find Keith, who she never failed leave too far behind.  Rather Shiro was trying to look around with an air of ‘I told you so…’

It was a lot easier said than done the longer they went along.

Shiro pulled his cloak a little tighter around himself.  Shielding himself form a cold breeze as he peered up at the dark branches of the tree tops.  

He had never been to  _this_  part of the forest before.

There was a weird feeling in the air.  One that Shiro can’t really put into exact words to describe.  Because it was like someone was watching him, but not.  And it was like there was something dark and terrible looming ahead, but also not at the same time.  Yet, there was a pull of some kind, like a distant string in the back of his mind.  It was weird, Shiro didn’t exactly like it, but he pushed on.  The sooner he found Keith the sooner he could get out of there.

It didn’t help that there were old wives tale or rumor of some beast that roamed around within the depths of the forest nipping at the back of his mind.  Something only a handful of local hunters had claimed to see and all their drunken stories differed greatly.

All was fine, until Red reared up with a loud neigh.

Snapping the rope tying her to Kuro’s saddle and turned tail.  Galloping away from Shiro before he could reach for her reigns or broken rope and calm her down.  She was gone by the time Shiro even knew what happened.

He cursed to the sky as he realized it was too late to go after her.  

Kuro huffed and puffed below him.  Completely indifferent to the events that happened as she stomped her hooves impatiently for Shiro’s command.  Making no moves to actually turn and look where Red went.

Shiro sighed as he took as a sign he was going in the right direction.  Gently nudging Kuro forward.  Knowing Red will wonder back to their little cottage and stay there until they returned.  Maybe only venture away to beg someone to take her reigns off, but not much well.

He rode for another five minutes or so, before stumbled upon a castle.

A fresh set of foot and hoof prints in the mud.  More than enough evidence to tell Shiro, Keith and Red wiggled open the gate and ventured inside of some hopeful shelter.  He just hoped Keith was still inside, completely fine and safe.

And not the victim of whatever scared off Red.

Sliding off Kuro, Shiro takes the reigns and leads his horse through the half open gates.  Being carefully mindful of everything he does as he approaches.  How and where he steps, like it mattered for some reason as he started up at the huge structure.

It was massive.  Quite literally a castle of fine craftsman ship, standing in decently perfect condition.  Granted it’s a little run down, and old looking, none of it seemed to be falling apart one bit.  Shiro was surprised he had never noticed it before.  Even with how tucked away it was in the mountain, it should more than have been visible form the village of Arus down in the valley.

Shiro tied Kuro’s reigns to post outside.  Securing them well enough before he ducked under the horse’s head to make his way to the main entrance.  Or rather the two huge wooden doors that were opened just a crack.  He stared at them in slight awe as he tried to kick as much mud of his boots as he could.

Carefully, Shiro eased his way inside.

“Hello?”  He called out softly as he gently eased the door closed.  

It echoed slightly through the huge foyer.  Which was as ornate and rich in appearance as the outside. And just was run down looking too.  A decently thick layer of dust collected on the furniture.  Save a sharp line, that Shiro could only guess was from Keith. 

“Keith!”  Shiro called out lowly as he advanced.  “Keith are you in here?  It’s Shiro.”  He peered around the wide halls, holding himself as close to himself as he can in the dark space.  “Keith!?”

Shiro snatched up a three armed candle stick holder from a table.  Carefully lightly the three slightly used candles with a match as he advanced further into the place.  The soft candle light giving the halls a warm glow.  Gently he kept calling out Keith’s name, and listening for any type of sound.  It didn’t matter if it was a reply or not, Shiro would take anything he could get with each passing second.

Until finally, when Shiro was peering down some stairs to the cellars or basement or something…there was something.

The smallest, most distant, and confused  “Shiro?” he probably ever heard Keith’s voice say.  

But it was more than enough.

Shiro raced down, calling out for the other man, who in turned did the same.  

Until Shiro fond him looked into looked like some kind of dungeon cell.  Calling out over to the bars at the sight of Shiro before him, huge smile plastered on his face.  There was a bruise forming on Keith’s temple, but other than that he seemed perfectly okay.  Save being locked in a cage like cell.

Shiro quickly took to trying to find a key once he realized Keith was okay.

“What are you doing here Shiro?”  Keith asked.

“Trying to find you,”  Shiro snapped as he kicked a small hay pile like it was hiding the key to the door.  “Red came back to the house  _without_  you, I knew something was wrong.  I told you not to go out that storm.”

“You shouldn’t be here, Shiro.”  Keith snapped sharply.  “You need to get out here.”

“Not without you.”  Shiro shoot back with a determined glare.  

“Yes, without me!  It doesn’t know your here, you need to get out here before it finds you and throws you in this damn cell with me…or worse.”

“It?”  Shiro asked, pausing his look for the key, to turn to look at Keith confused.  “What are you talking about?  Keith, who put you in here?”

“More like a what.”  Keith snapped in a frustrated tone.  But his eyes flicker to the opening of where they were.  Like he did whenever he was frightened by something.  “Look, I didn’t really get a good look at it, but what I did, wasn’t like anything I saw before.  It was big and quick…dragged me all the way down here.”

“I think you hit your head to hard.”  Shiro stated after a moment.  Going back to his task of searching for a way to get Keith out of the cell.

“Shiro, I’m being serious.”

“Hi Being Seri–”

“Shiro!”  Keith groaned as he banged his head against the bars of the cell.  Then he let out a desperate sigh.  “ _Please,_ just get out of here before that thing finds you, and…”

Keith’s words suddenly die away on his lips.

The other’s suddenly silence, caused Shiro to turn.  To find Keith staring wide eyes at the doorway of the space they were in.  Before he slowly crawled back away from the bars and towards the wall.  Eyes staying glued to the opening.

Shiro moved to look, trying to see what he saw and froze.

The hallway of the dungeon like area was suddenly lit.  More than Shiro’s three little candles, and more a rage torch fire.  The shadow of a large figure hulking figure.  A bulky mass that looked to be more fur and muscle than anything Shiro had seen before in the wild.  And there are heavy slow footsteps making they way towards the door.

“Who’s down here?”  A voice suddenly called out.  To was low, and growly, with an undertone of gargling rocks.  “I specifically stated no one was to go down here other than myself.  I made it very  _clear_.”

Shiro turned to look at Keith, who was just look at him with wide-eyed back.

“Fine don’t answer me then,”  The voice continued in a grumble.  “I’ll just come in and see.”

Shiro flew to press himself against the wall as silently as possible.  Easing himself towards the opening slowly as the sound of footsteps made their way towards the opening.  He watched as the huge shadow of the floor shrunk slightly as it moved way from the light, but still a huge figure.  Gripping the candle stick tightly, Shiro lifted it above his head to attack when the figure came through the door.

He braced himself as the figure stopped in front of the opening.

Counting down in anticipation.

Three…

Two…

One…

The figure stepped into the room, and Shiro suddenly halted at the sight before him.

Because…well…

It was not the sight he was expecting.

Before him was man…well kind of.  Most of his features were human and man-like in appearance.  A natural tan to his skin, and brown hair, with a height maybe a two or so inches shorter than Shiro.  Save the cat-like ears on the top of his head, on of which was turned in Shiro’s  _exact_  direction.  And large red stripe like curves on each cheek.

He was dressed in what looked like a thick cloak, lined with fine furs for warmth in the coldest of winters.  And his clothes are loose, but they looked like quality  materials of someone wealthy.  But Shiro can see enough to know the guy has a lean build, more speed and flexibility, than bulk strength.

“Smaller than I expected.”  Shiro blurted out loud dumbly.

Suddenly, the man-cat-person-thing turned to Shiro sharply.

And Shiro has a brief thought of  _angry ocean eyes_  before he’s suddenly launched backwards.  

The candlestick clattering against the floor as the fire went out.  Darkness overcame the room again.  But there was just enough out the glow from the hallway, for Shiro to make out the outline of the man as he stalked forward.  

“Is this just break into  _random_  castles and be rude night?”  The man question in a growl, but it’s not completely as deep as the first time he talked.  

Shiro only groaned weakly at the pain in his chest.

Then suddenly the guy is on top of him.  And there is a flicker of something shinny and metal for a second, followed by something cold against Shrio’s throat.  He stiffened at the feel of it, and the other chuckled darkly above him as he did do.  Shiro could make out just a bit of their smirk and sharp teeth as his eyes adjusted back to the dark.

“Who the  _quizanack_  are you?”  The man asked from above him. 

Shiro glared up the guy, refusing to answer.  

Partly because he was still so shocked at the sight in front of him.

_This_  was what Keith was so scared off.  Shiro would lift him twenty times, on a good day, no problem.

“Who are you?”  The cat-man thing asked him again.

Again Shiro didn’t answer.

Deciding giving his name to something in this weird place was a bad idea.  

With a growl, the man got off him.  Then yanked him up the collar of his shirt, and slammed Shiro’s back into the wall.  The cold metal returned to his neck again like it never really left.

Shiro was half surprised by the guys ease to do so.

“Hey, let Shiro go!”  Keith suddenly snapped, with a harsh bit to his voice.

Well there went Shiro’s plan of keeping his name unsaid right out the window.   _Thanks Keith!_

Looking over, Shiro could see Keith was glaring angrily at the man.  He almost looked extra annoyed, probably about the fact that man got a jump on him given his less then intimidating appearance. Literally the last thing Shiro thought of what he looked like when Keith talked about him.

But Shiro’s toes where just brushing the floor, and the guy was holding him up by the collar.  So the cover of that book was a decoy.

The guy growled lowly, shooting a sharp look back at Keith in the cell. 

It caused Keith to stumble a back in surprise.

But then he turned back to Shiro with a wicked grin on his lips.  A shadow almost falling over his eyes as his shoulders hunched gleefully.  His teeth catching the faint light from the hallway.

“Shiro…”  The man said like he was testing the name on his tongue.  Rolling the ‘r’ in something a purr, and elongating the ‘o’ of his name.  The cold metal of what Shiro is assuming is a knife, pressed a little bit into his neck.  And the man tilted his head as his eyes flickered up and down Shiro really quickly.   “What are you doing in my house?”  

Shiro turned his attention back to the man holding him against the wall.  Blinking down at him dumbly for a moment.

Wait…what this the beast from all those tales and rumors?

The one the had scared a handful of hunters.  That they claimed fought bears and pushed over huge trees.  Rumored to be so ugly that the devil would run and hide and seeing his face.

He was so… _small._ Scrawny and scrappy looking. 

Suddenly there was a dark growl in front of Shiro.

Oh crap Shiro said that out loud.

“I’d watch your mouth!”  The man growled out fiercely as he leaned in.  “Now, answer my question.  What are you  _doing_  in my house?”

“Sorry…I was just trying to find my brother, Keith.”  Shiro stated hurriedly as he gestured towards Keith in the cell.  “His horse returned to our home, I just came to see where he was, and stumbled on this place.  If you just let us go, we’ll be out of your hair.  It will be like we never here in the first place.”

“Not possible.”  The man hissed out.

“Why?”  Shiro asked calmly.

“The hideous hair disaster over there,”  The man grumbled as he with a slight nod of his head towards Keith.  Ignoring Keith’s sharp call of ‘hey’ at the comment, aside from the slightest for frown.  “Broke in,  _stole_  from me, and started to settle in for the night.  Not to mention attacked me when I told him to leave.  I don’t like strangers in my  _house.”_

_“_ I’m sure, he didn’t really mean too.”  Shiro stated levely.  “If he would have known you lived here, surely he  _would_  have asked.  Right, Keith?”  Shiro said glancing over the man’s cat-like ears at Keith, who really didn’t look half as sheepish as he maybe  _should_  been.

“Uh…yeah.”   Keith answered as the man glanced over his shoulder at him.

“He  _stays_.”  The man growled out with an annoyed huff.   “You can leave, despite your rudeness and breaking in, you’ve done nothing but wander around looking for him  I  _suppose_  I can let it slide this once.”

“Surely we can discuss–”

“He  _stays_!”  The man snapped with a finality to his words.

“What if I stayed instead?”  Shiro blurted out desperately.

“ _What?!”_ Both the man and Keith shrieked.  

Or rather Keith shrieked.  

The man sounded more genuinely surprised and caught of guard.  Like he wasn’t sure if he heard what Shiro said right.  His ears stood at attention in a way that Shiro would saw almost looked… _hopeful_.  But it’s gone in a simply blink of an eye.  And it was like he couldn’t believe Shiro was willingly offering to stay with him.

“You let Keith go, and I’ll stay in his place.”  Shiro stated again, like it clarified things.  

“Really?”  The guy asked.

Shiro nodded quickly.  

It was an easy choice for him to make.  

Keith was needed more in town than Shiro.  Keith was a far better hunter and tradesman than Shiro…even with Keith’s… _quarks_.  Shiro was perhaps just a good stable hand at the most.  He was know more for having his eyes to the stars or nose in a book, than anything else.  

Really only going into town for supplies and a new book to read. 

“Fine.”  The man huffed after a moment.

Carefully the cat-man lowered Shiro back towards the ground.  His eyes flickering up and down Shiro for a while, slowly easing back away from.  Bits of blue in his eyes would catch the light from the hallway as he did so.  He wasn’t really hiding the fact that he was sizing Shiro up.

Suddenly he surged forward.  

“If this is some kind of ploy…”  The man hissed out as he slammed Shiro into the wall. There is a flash of metal.  The point of a thin knife placed within the center of Shiro’s vision.  “ _Both_  of you will be staying here in this dungeon for the rest of your time on Earth.  Understand?”

“Or course.”  Shiro nodded out.

“Good,”  The man stated with a satisfied nod.  

He shoved away from Shiro roughly, making a point to add a bit of growl.  As he moved away, he reached into his fur lined cloak and tossed something at Shiro.  It jingled loudly as Shiro scrambled to both protect his face, and catch the things…which turned out to be keys.  

Looking at the man, he just gestured to the door of the cell Keith was in.  Then he leaned down to pick up the candlestick Shiro had dropped on the ground.  Shiro turned his attention to the cell door as the man started to gently dusting it off.

Shiro made his way to the cell door, quickly working on which figuring out which key worked.  Hurriedly shoving each one in and trying to turn them.  Keith made his way to the bars be him.

“Shiro, you don’s have t–”

“I know, but I am.”  Shiro snapped as the sixth key slide in effortless.  With a simple turn the lock clicked out of place.  Shiro yanked open the cell door.  “End of discussion.”

“Yeah, enough chit-chat you two.”  The cat-man’s voice huffed in annoyance, and it was almost like Shiro could hear his eye rolling.  He turned to see the other hold the candlestick, which the candles lit again, and his hip jutting out to the side.  “Unless you  _want_  to stay in that cell,  _Haircut_.”  

* * *

The cat-man, or Lance as he begrudgingly introduced himself as when Shiro asked (because he didn’t want to call him Beast…or Cat-man), was kind enough to let Shiro and Keith have a good-bye.

He stood in the doorway with the candlestick.  Seemingly to be looking slightly more annoyed with every passing moment he was standing there.  Shiro had noticed one of his eyebrows starting to twitch, as he glared at Keith.  No doubt hearing Keith trying to convince Shiro to just book it with him.  They could totally lose that thing, especially on Kuro.

But Lance never actually stepped in on their conversation.  Just stood there off to the side waiting.

Which made Shiro wonder if he really wan’t concerned that Shiro would get far if he tried anything.  He could lift Shiro with one arm like he was a feather.  Shiro wouldn’t be surprise he he could move a great distance in the blink of an eye.

So he just wished Keith save travels.  Assuring he would be fine…doing whatever Lance put him to work doing.  And he would find some way to keep in touch eventually.  Keith should just get going on his way, and go about his life like nothing was wrong.

Eventually Keith crawled on Kuro and rode away.

And Lance made a heavy example of slamming the heaving wooden doors.

“Here.”  Lance snapped as he roughly handed Shiro the three-armed candlestick once they were back inside the foyer of the castle.  He barely waited for Shiro grab it before he let it go, causing Shiro to fumble with it slightly.  “Coran will show you to your room, and  _only_  your room,”  Lance added pointedly, before he turned.  “I’ll be check you’re there in ten minutes.  There are some things I need to take off.”  

Then he just stormed off in a mix of grumbles and huffs. 

Leaving Shiro to just waiting around for whoever Coran was.  Shiro glanced around the foyer wondering when some other person was just going show up.  Half wondering if they would be a cat-person too, or something.

“Please don’t mind the young master, my boy.”  An accented voice suddenly said…like  _right_  beside Shiro.   It caused Shiro to jump and turn sharply only to the sound.  “It’s been a while since he’s had a guest.”  

Shiro’s gaze turned to the look at the candlestick in his hand, because that was where the sound was coming from his hand.  Only to find the three-armed candlestick  _looking_  up at him.  Grinning up at him with a face and something that looked like a mustache.

“My name is Coran.”  The candlestick said with a wave one of it’s arms.  “I suggest we start making our way to your room, before the young master falls into more of a bad mood…if you wo–”

Shiro screamed and dropped the thing.

What the _hell_  was going on?

He watched in shock and some horror, as the candle stick moved to get up. Quickly brushing himself off like it was no issue that Shiro just dropped him.  Turn to glance up at Shiro like everyone is just  _normal_ , waiting for Shiro to let him guide him to his room.

Laughter suddenly bounces through the halls of the castle.  

The snickering undertone told Shiro that it was Lance somewhere else in the house.  Like a child who hid a fake snake under a bucket for someone to fine.  Some of the other furniture seemed to  _leaned_  towards the sound, before turning to look at each other than Shiro.

“You’re room is this way, my good sir.”  Coran stated cheerily.  He bounced forward with a metal clank of his base against the floor.  

And for some reason Shiro followed after him.

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah! I did. I have like so many ideas for this AU of sort (and Beauty and the Beast really isn’t may favorite Disney Princes movie to being with). But the idea of Shiro being a dork and a slight gay disaster…cause he finds Lance immediately cute because of well…his size and cat like features. I just can’t get enough of it.
> 
> Lance is really stand off for a handful of reasons. Most of them do to the curse put on him and generally being alone for a long time. But he really a sweet boy, and he looks like his M&M character, because reasons. Coran, Allura, and Hunk all live in the castle, as well a Candlestick, teapot, and clock respectively. And Keith and Pidge are more in Shiro’s world.
> 
> The ending got away from me a bit…but oh well.


End file.
